EAGLEHAWK'S reign as leading club at the Victoria Country Track and Field Championships enters a fifth year after the weekend's contests in Bendigo.
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The Hawks scored 1402 points across three days of competition.
Eaglehawk, Bendigo and South Bendigo capitalised on home-turf advantage to lead the race for the Margaret Saunders Country Cup awarded to the leading team.
In the Cup race it was Eaglehawk which capped another dominant display as Bendigo Harriers and South Bendigo waged a great duel to be runner-up.
Harriers scored 965 points as South Bendigo was next in the title race on 948.
A score of 171 put Bendigo University in 16th place.
Eaglehawk retained the Ex-Athletes Cup for leading women's team, and David Kitt Memorial Trophy for the men's teams challenge.
The Australia Day awards for outstanding achievements went to Cooper Sherman from Ballarat Harriers and Wendouree's Nyajima Jock.
Highs for Sherman were a gold medal-winning run of 21.11 in the under-20s 400m, and victory in the under-20 400m in 47.20.
It was Jock who reigned supreme in the women's open 200m final as she charged to victory in 25.20 seconds.
The Stuart Hunter award for outstanding under-16 athlete went to Albury's Mikayla Taylor after she reached a mark of 11.95m, wind 2.8, in the under-16 triple jump.
The Joyce Lockyer Memorial Shield to recognise sportsmanship, encouragement and dedication to field event/s was awarded to Steve McLennan from Wendouree.
There were many outstanding contenders for the Athletics Chilwell veterans award.
It was back-to-back wins for Wendouree's Angela Williams and Bellarine's Grant Simpson.
Performances adjudged best by AC members were Williams' run of 19:16.16 to win the 40-plus women's 5000m, and gold for Simpson in the 50-plus men's steeplechase in a time of 10:57.23.
There were many highlights from competitors from country or metropolitan clubs.
Dual Olympian Victoria Mitchell won the women's open 3000m steeple in 10:37.54 to add to Albury's gold haul.
A national champion at shot put, South Bendigo's Emma Berg achieved a mark of 14.30 metres to add another Victoria Country triumph to her record.
At high jump, Melbourne Uni's Joel Baden and Ballarat YCW's Yual Reath were the stars to watch.
Baden competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics and cleared 2.21m in Saturday's competition as Reath reached 2.16m.
Just days after soaring 5.05m in the Steve Hooker pole vault challenge at the Zatopek 10 meet, Box Hill's Dalton Di Medio cleared the 5.15m mark in Bendigo.
Essendon's Archie Noakes won the under-20 3000m steeplechase in a superb time of 8:57.97. Qualifying standard for this year's world junior titles in the event is 9:08.
Finale to Saturday night's track racing were the 4 x 100m relays.
Geelong Guild, 44.25, surged past Eaglehawk, 44.45, on the home straight to win the men's open final.
Wendouree celebrated a great victory in the women's open ahead of Geelong Guild in times of 50.25 and 50.39.
